Easter is set to provide under-pressure retailers with a much-needed boost, according to new research.

Retail intelligence business Springboard has predicted that footfall will increase by 5.4 per cent over the Bank Holiday weekend.

It coincides with a gloomy forecast that thousands of retailers could follow the likes of Brantano, Jones Bootmaker and Jaeger into administration this year.

Springboard's report suggests that footfall on the High Street could increase by 8.8 per cent this weekend.

It is also predicting a 3.5 per cent increase at retail parks and a 0.1 per cent rise at shopping centres.

Springboard's insights director Diane Wehrle said: "Last year Easter took place on 25 March, a few days in advance of national payday for many shoppers.

"This combined with poor weather conditions, impacted footfall, which declined across retail destinations from Easter Saturday onwards.

"Mild spring weather is forecast for this Easter, which falls after the national payday.

"This strongly indicates that more shoppers will visit retail destinations over the weekend compared with last year.

"On Good Friday last year - the one day of the weekend with good weather - footfall on high streets increased 16.4 per cent compared to Good Friday 2015."

Insolvency firm Begbies Traynor believes that nearly 23,000 retailers were under significant financial stress at the end of the first quarter.

Up to 10 High Street names could become insolvent this year, according to business risk adviser Nick Hood from London accountancy firm Opus Restructuring.

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